There are two kinds of fat guys: ones who smell, and ones who don’t. And, in the end, it always comes down to how much the fat guy cares about other people.

It’s really hard to write about this because it’s pretty simple: not all fat guys stink, but many of them have That Smell, and many of them wish they could get rid of it but can’t. So there are two options for fat guys:

Stop caring altogether. People will avoid you like the plague, but at least you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

Actively avoid That Smell, spending valuable time trying to be pleasant to be around in hopes that people look past your size and treat you like a human being.

See, that’s what I’ve been getting at this whole week. Fat guys are the last unprotected class, the last group it’s okay to treat like crap. They have trouble being part of a group, they’re often shunned when it comes to going out to lunch or going out after work, and they never, ever complain about it to their coworkers. They just sit there and take it.

When people are upset or depressed, one thing they do is stop caring about personal hygiene*. They shower less. They clean their clothes less. And in the end, they cultivate That Smell and it becomes impossible to shake.

So what’s the point of all this? Simple: be nice to the fat guys in your office. Invite them along. At least try to be friendly. Even if they have That Smell. You could make a difference in a fat guy’s life, and possibly put him on the path to, if not being less fat, at least to getting rid of the stench. And all the other fat guys who don’t stink will appreciate that more than anything else.